Stage 6 closing down!

[Kakashi]

This is a nightmare. Anyone else use stage 6 divX to watch anime and amv?

[Aoie_Emesai]

Originally Posted by Tom @ Stage6.com

I’m Tom (aka Spinner), a Stage6 user and an employee of DivX, Inc., the company behind the service. I’m writing this message today to inform you that we plan to shut down Stage6 on February 28, 2008. Upload functionality has already been turned off, and you’ll be able to view and download videos until Thursday.

I know this news will come as a shock and disappointment to many Stage6 users, and I’d like to take a few moments to explain the reasons behind our decision.

We created Stage6 with the mission of empowering content creators and viewers to discover a new kind of video experience. Stage6 began as an experiment, and we always knew there was a chance that it might not succeed.

In many ways, though, the service did succeed, beyond even our own initial expectations. Stage6 became very popular very quickly. We helped gain exposure for some talented filmmakers who brought great videos to the attention of an engaged community. We helped prove that it’s possible to distribute true high definition video on the Internet. And we helped broaden the Internet video experience by offering content that is compatible with DVD players, mobile devices and other products beyond the PC.

So why are we shutting the service down? Well, the short answer is that the continued operation of Stage6 is a very expensive enterprise that requires an enormous amount of attention and resources that we are not in a position to continue to provide. There are a lot of other details involved, but at the end of the day it’s really as simple as that.

Now, why didn’t we think of that before we decided to create Stage6 in the first place, you may ask? That’s a good question. When we first created Stage6, there was a clear need for a service that would offer a true high quality video experience online because other video destinations on the Internet simply weren’t providing that to users. A gap existed, and Stage6 arrived to fill it.

As Stage6 grew quickly and dramatically (accompanied by an explosion of other sites delivering high quality video), it became clear that operating the service as a part of the larger DivX business no longer made sense. We couldn’t continue to run Stage6 and focus on our broader strategy to make it possible for anyone to enjoy high quality video on any device. So, in July of last year we announced that we were kicking off an effort to explore strategic alternatives for Stage6, which is a fancy way of saying we decided we would either have to sell it, spin it out into a private company or shut it down.

I won’t (and can’t, really) go into too much detail on those first two options other than to say that we tried really hard to find a way to keep Stage6 alive, either as its own private entity or by selling it to another company. Ultimately neither of those two scenarios was possible, and we made the hard decision to turn the lights off and cease operation of the service.

So that’s where we are today. After February 28, Stage6 will cease to exist as an online destination. But the larger DivX universe will continue to thrive. Every day new DivX Certified devices arrive on the market making it easy to move video beyond the PC. Products powered by DivX Connected, our new initiative that lets users stream video, photos, music and Internet services from the PC to the TV, are hitting retail outlets. We remain committed to empowering content creators to deliver high quality video to a wide audience, and we’ll continue to offer services that will make it easy to find videos online in the DivX format.

It’s been a wild ride, and none of it would have been possible without the support of our users. Thank you for making Stage6 everything that it was.

--Tom

Simply the cost became too expensive. I never used Stage6, but i'm sadden to hear it go down. I'm just that way ^^

[King Lycan]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i always used to watce Fate /Stay Night on it and HD one piece episodes

[Solace]

I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner. People complain about the video quality of Youtube but there's a reason they keep it so low. Still, it's a step back for online streaming. Stage6's quality was amazing for streamed content.

[Kang Seung Jae]

I guess I'm lucky Korea has high-quality online video sites.


Which, unfortunately, is reserved only for Koreans and Korean IPs....

[ApostleOfGod]

Originally Posted by Kang Seung Jae

I guess I'm lucky Korea has high-quality online video sites.


Which, unfortunately, is reserved only for Koreans and Korean IPs....

Can you provide link? Thanks.

[tripperazn]

That's really too bad, I guess there's a reason why their quality was a cut above, it really can't be maintained. Veoh is an acceptable alternative for those seeking a replacement streaming site. SD, not HD, to be sure, but you get the same fullscreen as Stage6.

[WanderingKnight]

Now I have to use BitTorrent which I dont fully understand

What don't you understand? Honestly, there are dark areas in IT and computer interaction, but BT certainly ain't one of them.

On topic: I don't really care. I never used Stage6, and being Divx and their stupid proprietary format I'm sort of glad, actually.

[NoSanninWa]

Originally Posted by kakashi-genius

This is a nightmare. Anyone else use stage 6 divX to watch anime. Now I have to use BitTorrent which I dont fully understand

Despite the fact that I am annoyed by the way DivX does business I'm a bit sad to hear about Stage6's demise. I loved searching their site for high quality AMVs. Unlike youtube stuff doesn't look like shit on Stage6.

As for learning how to use BitTorrent it is pretty simple. Just install µTorrent and then click on the links here to download the videos. That's as easy as pie. Oh sure, there is a little bit of a playback issue, but there is a one step install for that also. Just install CCCP and play your videos with the included MPC.

Got that? Just install those two programs and you're good to watch anime.

[King Lycan]

xvid fanboy
but i dont use youtube or any streaming sites i use utorrent

[Maakasu]

i'm not really paying attention to what i use to watch anime but i'm pretty sure i came across it everytime i watch anime. that is sad

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Ah, well... shit. That stinks, though I never really used it myself. All I could ever find was damn spanish subbed stuff anyway.

[gaguri]

I guess I'm lucky Korea has high-quality online video sites.


Which, unfortunately, is reserved only for Koreans and Korean IPs....

People can't even watch free Korean porn because they are unable to provide a National Resident Registration Number this is so not me I'm innocent

People interested in artsy anime should download 1001 Nights and AniKuri15 before it closes though, that's where I got mine. I'm sure there are others that can't be obtained easily elsewhere as well.

[[DOT].L]

A pity. Guess I won't be able to finish those Chinese martial arts dramas, after all.

[Nenkitsune]

Originally Posted by King Lycan

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO i always used to watce Fate /Stay Night on it and HD one piece episodes

10+Mbit connection don't fail me now!

*sprints to stage6 to download them all*

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by Nenkitsune

10+Mbit connection don't fail me now!

*sprints to stage6 to download them all*

I did the same, only for TTGL. I want the high def vids, lol.

[UzumakiW]

I've actually never used this place, so I don't know what it's like to people who used it to lose it, but it seems like a sad thing. Sorry to hear this. I've always been fine with using Veoh.

[Nenkitsune]

compared to Veoh, the quality from Stage6 is amazing. I tried watching a show on veoh, and since i watched almost ALL of Nana on stage6, i couldn't get used to the quality drop veoh has. Veoh IS great though, so I'm not knockin on them any. I just prefer the quality of Stage6. Basically, the quality is on par to what you get from downloading fansubs through bittorent. quality and res is slightly lower, but it's still VERY nice for streaming media. I think I'm lucky I have this high speed internet, because it downloads/streams at 600+kB/s

[cyth]

Stage6, despite all the technical problems, was a great place to upload videos. I used it for uploading a couple of my karaoke-subtitled videos and had other plans, but now it seems I'll be forced to BlankClip() the videos I'll upload to YouTube. I'm still testing out other similar video services. YouAreTV is looking like a viable candidate.

[Spectacular_Insanity]

Originally Posted by Nenkitsune

compared to Veoh, the quality from Stage6 is amazing. I tried watching a show on veoh, and since i watched almost ALL of Nana on stage6, i couldn't get used to the quality drop veoh has. Veoh IS great though, so I'm not knockin on them any. I just prefer the quality of Stage6. Basically, the quality is on par to what you get from downloading fansubs through bittorent.

Er, it's not Veoh that has quality issues. It depends on the quality of videos that are uploaded by members. I watched the Utawarerumono specials there and they were amazing quality. I also watched other shows whose resolution left a lot to be desired. It depends on the uploader's material.

Edit: I myself have uploaded some high-quality vids, so it can't be Veoh.